1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fluid driving machine. In particular, the present invention relates to a seawater pump utilizing a microprocessor to control pump output fluid flow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past variable displacement piston pumps and various other fluid working machines have been used at constructions sites to assist in the construction process. When the construction sites are land based above ground sites or underground sites and it is desired to provide fluids under pressure, these prior art pumps perform quite well in providing pressurized fluids as may be utilized at the construction sites. For example, if oil driven tools such as an oil driven band saw or an oil driven drill are used at a construction site, prior art variable displacement piston pumps may be utilized as a source of power for such oil driven tools by providing pressurized oil to the tools.
While these prior art pumps are satisfactory in a land based environment, in an underwater environment such pumps are generally not useful. For example, in a deep underwater environment, such as the ocean floor, using oil driven tools can be catastrophic to the environment, especially when there is a rupture in a supply line or the pump or tools leaks oil.
Therefore, it is desirable to use a pump for operating hydraulically driven tools which uses a fluid that does not adversely effect the environment. A pump which uses sea water as the hydraulic fluid would be preferable to pumps which provides oil or other environmentally hazardous materials under pressure to operate tools. A pump providing seawater as the pressurized fluid would also be compatible with such tools as the Seawater Hydraulic Rotary Impact Tool of U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,966 and the Multi-Function Tool System Rockdrill of U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,734 which use seawater as the pressurized hydraulic fluid.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid working machine such as a pump which may be used in an underwater environment without harming the environment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pump which is seawater compatible and which may be used to provide pressurized seawater to seawater operated hydraulic tools.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an axial piston seawater pump which is highly efficient, highly reliable and not susceptible to the corrosive effects of seawater.
These and other objects, novel features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description of the present invention is set forth in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.